Inglourious Basterds 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Inglourious Basterds 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released Director Quentin Tarantino's fun yet disquieting 2009 World War II film 'Inglourious Basterds' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and a new hour-long supplement. Universal has included the legacy 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The bundled Blu-ray is identical to the 2009 issue.

Inglourious Basterds 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Viewers are first going to note the positive impact that the HDR color grading has on the picture. The opening title card, yellow over black, is transformed. The black is clearly deeper and the yellow far more vibrant and alive; it's a glourious and auspicious beginning for the HDR grading. In the first shot of the film -- a distance shot of the old farmhouse and field -- it is readily apparent that not only is the image sharper, it's also more vibrant. More intensely bold greens, fall leaves, and blue skies bring a sense of life to the UHD that isn't quite there on the Blu-ray by comparison; the old SDR colors look flat and drab by comparison. The white sheets seen in a subsequent shot are sparkling, far more luminous and true compared to the creamier Blu-ray. There is certainly a clear increase in overall brightness with the HDR grading, obvious most anywhere in the film (take a look at how much more life there is to a theater marquee in the 38-minute mark, for example), but with that brightness comes a more foundationally reliable color spectrum, one that is more organic, crisp, and detailed. Primaries delight and even earthen tones leap off the screen for superior color accuracy. Red Nazi emblems are a color highlight, as is blood, but one would be remiss not to mention superior flesh tones as well. This is a substantial upgrade over the Blu-ray in terms of its color output. Well done!

The picture is attractively filmic. It is very sharp and there's no mistaking a healthy grain structure, crisply defined faces and clothes, and an overall sense of screen command that amplifies the movie's wares many times beyond the Blu-ray's abilities. Comparisons reveal a healthy boost to image integrity and stability with the UHD offering a far more commanding presence, capable of delivering a level of intimate clarity well beyond 1080p's reach. The Blu-ray is left looking resultantly soft and lackluster in comparison. Viewers will appreciate, of course first and foremost, the overall clarity and sharpness but more specifically the ease with which the UHD picks up intricate skin textures and hairs, clarity of clothes and close-ups on weapons, and various environments, whether wooded areas or classy movie theaters. Light or dark, daytime or night, the picture holds to a near resplendent level of clarity that makes this, quite easily, the best option for home consumption. Add a practically perfect print and no serious encode issues and it's safe to say that fans are in for a serious treat with this one.

Inglourious Basterds 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than remix the film's audio for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, Universal has chosen to only retain the original Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Fortunately, even a dozen years old, it remains an audio standout, a fine presentation of an expertly mixed audio experience. For a full review, please see Ken Brown's writing accompanying the 2009 Blu-ray here.

Inglourious Basterds 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For its UHD release of Inglourious Basterds, Universal has ported over most of the supplemental content from the 2009 Blu-ray while adding a new segment with Tarantino discussing the film with the New York Times. Below is a list of what's included on the UHD. Missing from the UHD disc, beyond ancillary content like D-Box functionality and Pocket Blu Interactivity, is the Killin' Nazis Trivia Challenge, which is included on the bundled Blu-ray (identical to the 2009 issue). A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Extended & Alternate Scenes (1080p. 11:31).
• Roundtable Discussion with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and Elvis Mitchell (1080p, 30:45).
• NEW! The New York Times Talks (1080p, 1:08:07): This piece did not appear on the original Blu-ray. It is a lengthy chat with Tarantino from August 14, 2009. With Moderator Lynn Hirschberg.
• Nation's Pride - Full Feature (1080p, 6:10).
• The Making of Nation's Pride (1080p, 4:00).
• The Original Inglorious Bastards (1080p, 7:38).
• A Conversation with Rod Taylor (1080p, 6:43).
• Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter (1080p, 3:19).
• Quentin Tarantino's Camera Angel (1080p, 2:41).
• Hi Sallys (1080p, 2:09).
• Film Poster Gallery Tour with Elvis Mitchell (1080p, 10:59).
• Inglourious Basterds Poster Gallery (1080p): Promotional material images.
• Trailers (1080p): Included are Teaser (1:45), Domestic Trailer (2:23), International Trailer (2:08), and Japanese Trailers (1:17).

Inglourious Basterds 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What a film! Inglourious Basterds holds up as one of Tarantino's best and Universal has done right by the film for its UHD release. The new 2160p/HDR UHD presentation puts the aging Blu-ray to shame for color depth and pop and textural accuracy and intimacy alike. No new audio track is present, but what's here is very good. Supplements are strong and this UHD disc includes an hour-long interview that was absent on the Blu-ray. Highly recommended, and packaging collectors should be on the lookout for the SteelBook variant.